“Load (Remast

The eponymously titled “Sunn O)))” was tracked at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington with Brad Wood (HUM, TAR, SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, Liz Phair). This location would prove crucial to the recording process.

“The vast tracking room had big windows looking out on trees,” says O’Malley. “We could go hiking and be out in the woods, spend time outdoors. That became a big part of it.”

“It was very inviting and very comfortable there,” adds Anderson. “There was no stress, no worry about the timeline or anything like that. We just let ourselves go, and let the music come out.”

SUNN O))) have long welcomed collaborators into their self-contained world, including such esteemed fellow travellers as Hungarian vocal explorer Attila Csihar, Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, Seattle-based multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore, Texan polymath Mark Deutrom, SILKWORM co-founder Tim Midyett and legendary singer-songwriter Scott Walker. For the new album, however, O’Malley and Anderson explore the still-fertile, primal territory of the duo format.

“On this album for the first time all of the instrumentation was performed by Greg and I,” says O’Malley. “All of the records have our leadership and direction, of course, but this time around, it was almost like this crucible of ideas that was really at the core of what we’ve been doing.”

Recording exclusively as a duo should not be interpreted as SUNN O))) limiting or restricting themselves. To the contrary, it has opened up new possibilities for their music.

“What’s been happening with our performances over the last couple years with the two of us and no other collaborators or players has been really fresh and exciting,” says Anderson. “There’s been a lot of development. A lot of that was unexpected. And a lot of things that happened in the studio were really exciting and different from what we had been playing live, as well.”

“It’s always developing,” says Anderson. “That’s a constant, and that’s what sustains my interest and passion. There’s a movement that’s happening, whether it’s forward, backwards, to the side, whatever.

That’s what makes playing in this group, at least for me, different and unique and special.”

Liner notes for the album are provided by award-winning British writer Robert Macfarlane, famed for his works concerning landscape and the multifaceted relationship between humanity and nature. Macfarlane negotiates the peaks and valleys of the SUNN O))) sound in a poetic, philosophical manner that will be familiar to readers of “Mountains Of The Mind: A History Of A Fascination” (2003),“The Wild Places” (2007),“Underland: A Deep Time Journey” (2019) or “Is A River Alive?” (2025).

“I’ve been very interested in Robert‘s writing for a long time,” says O’Malley. “He was very up for engaging with this project. And what he ended up turning in was mind-blowing. It’s part of the creative process, framing our music in a certain way, visually and with language, before presenting it to the world.”

SUNN O))) also worked with French artist Elodie Lesourd, whose illustration work is featured on the inner LP sleeves and accompanying album merch.

“Sunn O)))” track listing:

01. XXANN
02. Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?
03. Butch’s Guns
04. Mindrolling
05. Everett Moses
06. Glory Black

ered)” will be released in formats, including standard 180g 2LP, CD, cassette and digital (including a Spatial Audio mix using Atmos). Standard pre-orders receive “Until It Sleeps (Remastered)” IG, expanded edition pre-orders receive “Until It Sleeps (Remastered)” and “F.O.B.D. (‘Until It Sleeps’ Rough Chorus Vocal Idea Mix)” IGs. The 2LP, 3CD expanded and deluxe digital versions for the first time ever feature the extended version of “The Outlaw Torn”, originally edited for release due to time constraints of the CD format.

The “Load” remastered limited edition deluxe box set is an ambitious and comprehensive time capsule of 1995-97 era METALLICA, jam-packed with exclusives including previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, live performances, on-air and television appearances, and much more. The one-time pressing will include the remastered “Load” album on 180g double vinyl, a “Mama Said” picture disc, and “Loadapalooza ’96”, a 140g triple album recorded live during METALLICA‘s Lollapalooza headlining run at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on August 4, 1996. The set’s 15 CDs range from the remastered “Load” album to never-before-released collected riffs, demos and rough mixes, B-Sides and rarities, and a wealth of live material, while its four DVDs offer a plethora of behind the scenes, in-studio and live footage, on-air and television appearances, the band’s Polar Beach Party visit to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, and more. Rounding out the box’s content are memorabilia including a pack of 14 Rorschach Test cards, a Pushead patch, an 11×17 Lollapalooza poster, a Rolling Stone cover reproduction, a five-pack of guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, two laminated tour passes and a deluxe 128-page book.